Throng

teeveenut

The biggest barrier to this show was the pilot. Sure, it looked great, but it required such big leaps -  a bunch of strangers come together in the middle of nowhere and decide to liberate their loved one's, no questions asked. These weren't "normal" people in an extraordinary situation... they were characters that did things that normal people wouldn't do - at least not straight off the bat - so they were very hard to relate to.

Sure, they might not have had "evidence" to take to the police, but if it were you, wouldn't you be ringing every organisation/person you could think of to get help? Not decide in two seconds that you have to go commando to get them out.

What in any of their backgrounds (except Sophie and the bodyguard) validated their guerilla style instincts and behaviour?

It might have been better to start the show with them already engaged in the action and then flashback to how they (the liberators as well as the cult people) got there, rather than expect us to swallow everything chronologically in the pilot.

 

 

Rachel

Ratings has now been updated for all 13 episodes.

Kereama

I love The Cult, and have been watching on OnDemand - although I have missed the most recent episodes and am yet to catch up. I will definately be getting this on dvd provided it's released, it's a shame that my viewing habits are probably hurting those ratings figures given in the article, but the fact is, we watch most of our tv online, on demand or on dvd these days.

RegalSmeagol

I have watched every episode of the cult chronologically ondemand on the tvnz website. Without adverts the episodes work very well and it is a lot easier if you watch 3 or 4 episodes in a row. It is easier to keep up with the backgrounds with each character and it makes the story fuller as a whole. I really hope they release this show as a DVD set. It makes for great viewing when the episodes are watched back to back. I think there will be a strong demand for the cult on DVD. Well, for me anyway.

Grabate

I stopped watching this show but will probably get it DVD, serial shows are alot more fun to watch on DVD anyway.  It's unlikely but I wonder if TVNZ will release this on DVD before Christmas, I think there would be demand for it.

Looking back at the show, one of the changes I would have made would be to show more info about that husband and wife who were members of Momentum earlier than when their flashback was shown.  They spent the first 3 episodes in the background and were destracting when they appeared because I was trying to remember who they were as they were so poorly developed at that stage.

 

LegendofNinjas

I agree with George also. I really like the show for lots of reasons but the characters are hard to relate to because there's just too many characters. I mean, I liked Saul back in Ep3 or whatever, but now I've lost touch with him again because there's like 12 main characters or something.

Still, with the number of characters they've got, I think it's doing as good a job as possible balancing it all. But yeah, it's tough to get into any of them with any real depth when there's so many to get through.

So I guess you could say it's a rip off of Lost, trying to make 1 character feature per ep is a way to cut down on that problem a little. But if they didn't do that the issue would be so much worse.

I still think this would be much easier to watch as a DVD or something. If Saul's story wasn't like 2 months ago or whatever, I wouldn't have so many problems remembering stuff.

Also, I think it's total BS about the complaint they should have gone to the police. The point is they don't have any evidence. Also, remember when Michael got attacked in the forest at the start, that if he went to the police Ryan would get killed. So that's why they're not going. Makes sense to me

simon.K

I would not say the male characters are poorly written or that the characters in general are plastic. I agree with george423. I think this show is very brave for smashing through a lot base patterns for creating nz tv.

George423

Interesting.

They had no grounds to go to the police. all people involved in the cult were there by their own free will. thats why they tried to plant a drug lab in the cult, so they could have grounds to call the police. in fact, that was there first mode of action in the story.

Yes the writing could be better. They needed to spend more time with less characters for the general viewer to have reason to invest themselves in these people.

One use of so many scenic locations is it can lower production costs while giving the show visual room to breathe, space for the audience to expand into subconsciously.

I know the 'flashy' camera work is the result of them shooting it on the Red camera, the first TV series to do so in australasia I believe. That camera can pretty much bring in the same quality image as a Genisis camera for about 1/20th of the cost. It gives depth of field, strong contrast and rich synth-a-celluloid colouring in the image.

I have taken an interest in this particular show and watch it because I'm an overseas tv producer. Its my job to study tv drama.

aaronimpact

maybe we should have more black and white plastic and predictable 'heroes' and 'villains' rather than real people

No need. Most of the characters are already plastic. A "real person" would have gone to the police.

But thanks for putting words in my mouth.

But I go back on my previous argument that the male characters are poorly written which seems to be the norm in NZ TV drama.

The producers of The Cult seemed to be more interested in the scenic locations and flash cameras they used to film the show. But forgot to write characters that the audience would be able to connect to.

But I'm sure you are just watching it for the scenic locations and camera work.

George423

I don't agree. I think you'll find that true evil comes with a smile. a true villain, you will find, is often someone very close and preys on peoples weaknesses to gain power or manipulate others. Saul has psychotic tendencies, that can be mistaken for "boofheadedness" and yes, Nathan is a zombie, he is a schizophrenic and he is hopped up on tranquilizing medication which limits his basic motor skills. Edward's charming slick, self righteous exterior is the ultimate villain, and of course he is self-important, he is the leader of a cult- hello brian tamiki. I also enjoy watching Ryan and Andy. I find their characters work well. I do find Sophie to be a bit cliche and one dimensional, and Hannah to be refreshing and honest. Or maybe you are right, maybe we should have more black and white plastic and predictable 'heroes' and 'villains' rather than real people.... queue shortland street.

aaronimpact

I should have made a post about this some time ago but I can't hold it off any longer.

I have been very dissapointed with the male characters on the show. They either behave like mindless zombies (Nathan) or emotional immature boofheads (Saul).

The female characters appear to be a lot more thought out.

I find Cynthia to be much better villian than Edward (who I think is pompous and self important), though I'm not sure if Cynthia is entirely a villian after making some kind of deal with Lisa Chappell's character.

Hopefully the lead up to the series finale will have some satisfying bloodshed and do away with the annoying characters.

 

Wendy

Do the ratings take into account people who record the program and watch it later?  I watch very little in "real" time these days, thanks to MySky.  I am enjoying The Cult.

Joseph Celona

IT is one of the best programs on TVNZ, yes it could use an earlier day like Tue. .We have a working knowledge of cults , show might be scary but we need to open our eyes. Thank you TVNZ for your bravery in showing this program. Please do not take it off.  I love it.

Shel

I watched the pilot, wasn't hooked, the second episode was a struggle, so I skipped the rest until last Thursday's ep, wanting to give it another chance, but instead it just confirmed my initial feelings about the show.

For me the characters are too bland and some of them seem pretty interchangeable, while the actual cult seems like it's been manufactured from a 'How To Start A Cult' manual. On the plus side, the performances are solid, the cinematography is pretty and it's better than 'Burying Brian'.

rowena

Whether you are a fan of The Cult or not you MUST make time to go down to the Basement Theatre and catch Will Wallace (Hugo in The Cult) on stage in AUTOBAHN . Will appears alongside other stars of NZ television including Annie Whittle (Go Girls) Olivia Tennet (Shortland Street) and Elisabeth Easther (Shortland Street, Outrageous Fortune) in this darkly funny Neil LaBute play which is only on until 14 November.

"Set within the confines of the front seat of a car AUTOBAHN explores the mine-field of abusive, controlling, or otherwise toxic relationships. From a break-up gone awry, to a kidnapping thinly disguised as a road trip LaBute's unsettling montage gradually reveals the scabrous force of words left unsaid while illuminating the delicate interplay between intention and morality."

"These are very human stories and very worthy retellings of them."

Tickets are cheap, only $20 through iTICKET or on the door.

Don't miss it!

AaronB

To me The Cult is lacking something, not sure what though. I watched the first couple of episodes but haven't felt compelled to invest my time in watching any more episodes.

aaronimpact

Wow. That episode was saved by the last 10 minutes.

I was getting sick of the sanctimonious characters and was just about to give up watching it.

And does anyone else think Edward North's smugness reminds them of Clayton Weatherston?

BelindaG

I was really excited about this series because I am a huge Lost and True Blood fan and this was billed as being a bit like them.  Unfortunately there is one major flaw - I don't like any of the characters.  I don't care about them.  I would not shed a tear if any of them died.  I am still watching in the hope it improves, but right now beautiful pictures are not enough.

LegendofNinjas

I would imagine it's not considered good, lol.

I was expecting it though, the good numbers were coming from the catchups after fringe, and with that gone the catchup audience is gonna go down. All this just kinda reinforces to me that the issue is a lot with the lead in show. Fringe audiences are into it, but the police10-7 crowd just aren't interested. Complex stories with moral grey areas are not for the trashy reality show types.

I think the cult would have done best if they didn't have double episodes of fringe, and instead had the cult on at 9.30 following fringe for their first 4 episodes.

I know some people who absolutely LOVE the show, and some who are kinda neutral about it. I haven't met anyone who generally thinks it's bad, but somehow they're just not grabbed by it. But the funny thing is the people who love it are totally not the type you'd expect. My mother really loves it for example, and also a couple of her friends that are all like 50+ Their other favourite show is True Blood though, so maybe they're not your typical 50+s (they have the soundtrack and everything, lol)

I'm still amazed it's not rating better though. I really don't get it. But then when you see how GoGirls rates, you can see the kind of audience the Cult is going for and I'm not at all surprised that the GoGirls audience would have trouble getting into The Cult.

recrem

Rachel, do you think that's good for a show like this at this point? thanks...

Rachel

Have updated the graphs just now.

Rachel

The Cult had 5.1% of Kiwis (5+) watching last night.

aaronimpact

Things are certainly getting interesting.

T J 137

Personally I like the cult. If you sit down and watch all of the episodes chronologically its hard not to like it. Its obvious that the people who have created it have put their best foot forward. Anyone who appreciates anything decent can see that, and anyone who can't just wants to be spoon fed cheese-in-a-can entertainment like battery hens. Maybe that is why shows like wipeout get eaten up like candy floss. It is only a matter of time before the ratings pick up for the cult. anything that is new and tries to break through convention will find its an up hill battle at first, waiting for the potato heads to catch up... but in the end will find they have pioneered new ground and become the benchmark. Yes i think the show needs a new time slot. Monday or tuesday at 8:30. I also agree that an audience that watches police 10/7 is not necessarily the type of show that would rope in the target audience that would have an interest in a show that makes you think like the cult does. This show is a lot more layered and complex than the other 'space filler' shows that are on TV at the moment. So yes you do have to put in a little bit more effort. But that is where TV is going- shows that have silo interest groups. That is where the gold is for breaking new ground. Not mass market fat. Mass market junk creates a mass of junk minds. As long as the powers that be go the distance with this show and put in the effort to sustain its publicity, especially in the middle of the series and the build up to the end, I think this show will do very well over time and could do as promised in its first publicity campaign.... and reinvent NZ TV.

Hooked fan

janey

i thought i was a bit slow, but maybe i'm really smart cos i can follow the cult easily - and i'm totally with where its heading. i missed part 3 and hooked into part 4 no problems ... it's on now at 10.30 and i like watching it later at night, it works great late ... maybe the slot ... def not the story ... just my thoughts

tabby

I loved the pilot but I agree with the people who said the characters are hard to care about. Loved the Saul backstory but they needed to build in more character development at the beginning. Seems like the focus has been the look and the suspense rather than the characters. I think they are looking at creating a few seasons so they are stretching it out. I am hooked but can see why others aren't getting into it. For someone who is into film, I love the look and quality of it.

 

On the ratings thing I remember hearing someone from TV3 say that normal ratings patterns for new shows are that they start high cause of curiousity, drop till about mid season then grow again or plateau, depending on whether they have hooked enough viewers. Typically it seems that NZ broadcasters don't let many shows even finish the season if the ratings are plummeting and if they don't pull it they move it to another slot in the schedule. But this is one expensive production so I can't see that happening.

LegendofNinjas

theidolwhorocks, you are nothing but a troll, why do you bother posting on here? for anyone who is interested, take a look at his blog and you can see what kind of person you're dealing with here.

theidolwhorocks

It's just another crap drama, what are you worried about?

regan

@jimmy I believe AGB Nielsens have a new system that does that but I'm not sure whether it's being used here yet.

jimmy

Do the broadcasters measure the amount of people who record the programme and then watch it later?